Suze’s Status (6/12/12)

Status: Gained…A LOT!
Mood: Frustrated but using this as motivation

So today was the 4 week mark when I was supposed to get back on the scale and begin counting calories again. As a recap, my plan was to work out 5-6 times a week and eat healthy, but not count calories. I failed on both ends. I can’t say I didn’t pay attention to what I ate, because I’m confident I was fully engaged when I was eating Frito Scoops with french onion soup dip. I was also fully aware when I was mixing up mojitos, mint juleps, and Lynchburg lemonades. But I slacked. I wasn’t accountable for my calories so I cheated. I should’ve known it wouldn’t work because that is precisely how I tried and failed to lose weight in the past.

It takes work to measure everything out so you can account for the calories. It’s tedious and a pain. But what I learned is that it works. I’m not going to eat half a bag of Fritos with dip when I know I have to write that down for Zee and anyone else on SparkPeople to see.

I also failed at working out. Again, I should have known better. There’s not a lot of motivation to get off your butt when you aren’t weighing in anytime soon. I still did work out and if I count mowing the grass and other yard work as a work out, which I do, then I managed to workout 3-4 times a week. Not what I wanted, but not really that bad. Most weeks it was mowing one day, walking 2-3.5 miles one day, and walking 6 miles on Saturday. Not too shabby, but I wanted some strength training in the way of 30 Day Shred and Kettlebells in there as well.

So how much did I gain? Nine freaking pounds! I can honestly tell you I did not expect such a huge weight gain. I imagined maybe a couple pounds at the worst, but I really assumed even the little that I was doing in terms of working out would account for the extra calories I was consuming. Some of it could be water weight from my muscles storing some extra water since I’ve been using them. I don’t know. Either way, it was a wake up call.

While I could feel defeated over this, I’m choosing to see this as an experiment and motivation. Being back over 220 hurts, but it truly is excellent motivation for me to get going again. I’m still 35 pounds lighter than when Zee & I started this journey. And I know I can lose the weight; I lost around 45 pounds the last time I consistently counted calories. So, I’m back to counting calories, and I’m using the past month to motivate me to workout more, as that will be the best way to maintain the weight once I get it off.

With that thought, I’m stepping up my running plans. I’ll be running with one of my walking buddies, and we’ll be running on a high school track twice a week. I tried running this past Saturday and realized I land on my heel and have a heavy step. So I’m headed to the track for some added cushion until I learn to land mid-foot or on the balls of my feet. Landing properly will certainly help my plantar fasciitis not flare up so badly. Or so I hope. And running with a friend will give me more accountability and add to my weekly workout count.

I’ve also learned to tape my foot for plantar fasciitis, which has made walking easier and even helped improve my pace. There are about a hundred different ways, but the simplest method I found was this YouTube video. I will say, once the tape comes off, I still experience pain, but it helps during and helps quicken recovery time. Plus I could always re-tape after my shower if I really needed to.

So, I ask you, what lessons have you learned from times when dieting didn’t produce the weight loss results you wanted? And what’s your source of motivation for becoming a healthier person? What goals or accountability points did you set to help you on your way?